Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-15
THE CHAMPION DEADBEAD.
rs THRILLING EXPERIENCE on THE
PENNSYLVANIA.

IENNS0 LNANIA.
Joseph Keppler, who halls from Chica-
60 ard lays claim TO the title CT champion
dtadhead, is now in the city He has
made deed-hcsdiDg g science, and boasts
Of having travelled over 10000 miles On
railroads without having paid q cent of
fare.
Kepp,er stood in front of Third street
saloon yesterday, chewing the barren end
of match, when reporter engaged him
in conversation.
Glow did come herc?" he said in
answer to q question. "On the cars, Of
COURSE" and if, as anticipating the next
query, he added: "Without paying &
cent either. I've dead headed it al over
his country. Been from Maine 10 San
Francisco four times in as many years.
Nc, don't g ways get through as quick as
psV passenger, but | get there just the
same. l've h&d some rough experiences.
Been put Of in snow end ice, where
there wasn't house around for miles,
but | caught on again. You see, many
Of the raIlroaders know me, and many
times they've made me lump from the
train without stacking 'er up.
"Ihe most thrilling experience l ever
had was on train on the Pennsylvania
Railroad, going between JOhnStOWn and
Altoona over the mountains. | boarded
her st J 0hnstOWn, and, as bad luck would
have il, the conductor spied me on the
platform before we'd gone many miles.
/ You see, sometimes the conductors don't
90 through the train between these two
stations, as they don't make envy stops,
and a fellow has chance to steal
through. But this time l was caught.
| knew I'd be put off right in the center
Of the Allegheny mountains, ard the
/ thought of it chilled me. The night was
dark, so dark that you couldn't see your
hand before your face. looked around,
thinking | could hide myself, but that
was out of the question. l Was standing
on the last step and happened to look
around the corner of the car. The win
dow next to where l stood was open, and
| nit on bold plan. Whew, it makes
me SILVER to think OF It, and never want
to 90 through the likes again, not for all
the railroads in the United States.
well, sir, when saw the conductor
come from the other end of the car |
swung around to the side, caught hold Of
the window sash and hung there. just
then the conductor opened the door, ex-
pecting to ind me on the platform. He
felt for me in the darkness, l suppose,
but ne never dreamed to look for me on
the side of q car. lie went on into
the next car My arms were grow
, Jag tired, and was glad to get back on
J the platform again. To my great hor-
} ror, however, | couldn't reach the
steps again. Terror seized ne. l knew
| couldn't hold On another minute.
!. would have to drop and pe mangled under
the wheels. | yelled as loud as | could,
} but that was useless; no one could hear
! 81 thought | was lost, and made vi
my mind to that, when heard the whistle
CT train on the other track. / coulC
I hear her come laundering along. If
? dropped then knew l would fal
e on TIE track on which the west
Z bound train WAS to pass and be ground K
pieces. l held On like grim death. TIT
glare Of the headlight sbonc upon ME.
5 felt the strong current of air from TIL
] passing train. l also felt my grasp re
j., laxing, and that Was the last knew.
e had dropped right between the two
trains between the two tracks snd neve
was touched. The engineer OF the west
: bound train hsd seen me by the lgh
V from the locomotive c!inging TO m.
: periIous position and saw me drop. IL
e ran back for me, picked M
d up and brought me to Johns
town again. 1t was miracle, 0
course, that l escaped death. I've Gee
5 on top Of cars nearly frozen, rode alon
= for sixty miles on truck OF q car, bu
d never had such rough experience befor
It sad never want to again"
t "And say, young man," he continued
l. ''if you ever go travelling like me syoi
e steamships. l went as stoWsWay on
e time and I'll tell you what happened. A
: Ter three days out at sea I Wss dis
:. covered. The Captain said to me
n Young man, you'll have to 60 to work
h He set me to scraping of paint for min
y days. At the end of that time we reach
1t ed port, and, instead Of being allowed t
!, laud, l was placed in irons aud KEY
Il there until we left, when | was liberate
and set to work agsin all the wsy to Ne
York, where they allowed me to go.
never went to seq again Railroads are goo
enough for me. y San Francisco Chron
~ icle.